The Acquisitions Table: Address of the Carrier of the Kentuckian

Address of the Carrier of the Kentuckian. Frankfort, Kentucky: s.n., A.T. Leonard., 1830.

This broadside is the earliest example of a Kentucky carrier’s address in the AAS collection (earlier addresses are known, but are lacked by the Society). Bordered with elegantly laid out type ornamentation topped off with eagles and a cut of a printing press, the poem on the sheet is a typical summary of the events of the previous year (1830) with a New Year’s message and call for tips for the boys who carry the papers. The poem mentions Kentucky hero Henry Clay, then serving as a state Senator, lists events in Europe and Algiers, and philosophizes that all the coverage of battles and coups is what sells the paper, stating: “Wrangling is the life of news.”

Published by

Lauren Hewes

Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Graphic Arts, American Antiquarian Society

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